Kim Davis Denied This Gay Man A Marriage License, And Now He May Run Against Her

Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk whose steadfast opposition to same-sex marriage made her a darling of Christian conservatives, may draw a re-election opponent next year that again puts her in the national spotlight.

The Associated Press reports that David Ermold, a gay man denied a marriage license by Davis in June 2015, is “seriously considering” a run for Rowan County clerk. Davis, for her part, already has announced plans to seek another term.

Davis sparked a media firestorm when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality ruling. Footage of Ermold and his now-husband, David Moore, engaging in a heated exchange with Davis at a Rowan County municipal office was featured in national news reports as the controversy unfolded.

Ermold hinted at his campaign plans on Twitter Nov. 10, stressing that he needed “to get a few things in order” before a formal announcement could be made. 

Thank you so much for the support, Attica. I just need to get a few things in order and get in contact with the right people to make it happen. #inspiration https://t.co/8Apt6DFLyj

— David Ermold (@DErmold) November 9, 2017

Apathy in life is not an option. If we don't stand for something, we stand for nothing. #RowanCounty

— David Ermold (@DErmold) November 10, 2017

He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost. 

Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver, who represented Davis during the battle over the marriage licenses, told AP his client “doesn’t have any major concerns” about the 2018 election. “She loves her job and she loves the people,” he said.

Davis was briefly jailed for contempt of court over her refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses. She was released under the condition that she not interfere with the issuance of the licenses by deputy county clerks.

Having spent much of 2017 out of the spotlight, Davis made waves in October when she accompanied the Liberty Counsel’s Harry Mihet on a nine-day trip to Romania with the aim of encouraging that nation’s lawmakers to adopt legislation against same-sex marriage. 

Mihet, who is a Romanian native, and Davis reportedly held conferences in several cities in an effort to persuade local politicians to support amending the country’s constitutional definition of family, which would, in turn, rule out the possibility of legalizing same-sex marriage. A national referendum on that proposal is expected before year’s end.

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